The Games Are Coming Back
by SpellDreamer
Summary: What if Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger games, but there was no rebellion? What happens when Katniss gets her first district 12 girl to mentor?
1. Reaping

What if Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger games, but there was no rebellion? What happens when Katniss gets her first district 12 girl to mentor?

Katniss' POV

I sit staring dumbly at the calendar. Today is the day of the reaping. The day I have been dreading for months. The day where some poor district 12 girl and boy are sent away from their families and into an arena to fight to the death. And I'm supposed to watch and act like they have a chance. _No._ I correct myself. _I'm supposed to make sure they have a chance._

I look up and see Peeta walk into the kitchen, a towel wrapped around his waist and his eyes heavy with bags. He comes over to me and kisses me lightly on the lips. I moved into his house a few months after the Hunger Games; he helped keep the nightmares away. My mother and Prim still live in my old house in Victor's Village. Prim probably slept with my mother last night; she is still eligible to be reaped.

The thought scares me. I can't volunteer in her place anymore and nobody else will. I want to get out. To run to the woods; but I can't, Cinna will becoming over with the prep to help me to get ready; and while I miss my old friend, I dread him coming over, because I know, when he does, it means the Hunger Games are back.

I dress quickly and move downstairs almost in a daze. The capitol have been advertising the returning of the games for the last week, looking out of the window I see posters all with the same slogan. 'May the odds be ever in your favour.' It makes me sick. The odds were in my favour, but what about those 22 others? And those before them. The odds were never in their favour.

I'm interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Guessing that Peeta is getting dressed I move to the hall and answer the door. I am immediately swamped by all amounts of colour and to my amusement; feathers. Each member of my old prep team swoop in and kiss me on each cheek. As they move into the house; loudly commenting on how absolutely fabulous everything is from the carpet to the banister; I get engulfed into the hug I anticipated the most. Against Cinna's warm body I allow myself to break down for a few seconds, before composing myself and moving out of the hug to see Cinna's smiling, yet grave face.

Technically your old stylist and prep team shouldn't come to your district to help you prepare for the reaping, but they made allowances. I smile at my prep team; they are all laughing and giggling about the reaping today. In the capitol the reaping is something that is eagerly anticipated, and they laugh and mock the tributes. I grin at my prep team, acting the happy victor. "Peeta!" I call up to him with a cheery smile. "My prep team are here!" I wish he could come and save me from all these lies, but I know he can't; I must be happy. All of Panem will want to see their previous victor, ready to lead the next tribute to victory.

They all bustle me into the kitchen. They know where it is. All the victor's houses are identical in layout. They push me lightly down onto the stool and take off my dressing gown. I didn't bother getting dressed this morning, as I knew Cinna would have an outfit for me. Octavia immediately goes for my nails, occasionally tutting as she evens them and paints them. Venia moves to my hair and brushes it rhythmically. She cuts off a few of my split ends before putting my hair into my signature plait. Flavius works on my face, adding powders and such that I don't know the name of.

Cinna moves around the kitchen slowly, picking up various items, examining them before putting them down. He doesn't make any move to start conversation until my prep team are finished. When they hover around, asking if there is more to be done, he thanks them and asks them to wait in the living room. When the door shuts he turns to look at me.

He moves forward and cups my face in his hands and brushes a tear off my cheek.

"I know." Is all he says.

And I don't know if he does. I was his first tribute. He hadn't had to watch me die. He didn't have to live in the arena but I understand.

We stand there for a few seconds before he releases his grip on me and steps backwards. "If I could, I'd bet on you." He reminds me, smiling slightly. I smile back, blinking the water out of my eyes.

He moves over to his back and takes out a gorgeous summer dress. It is a light and drifting with the front just above my knees where it spreads down to the back down by my ankles. The top is tight with red lace sleeves. The whole thing itself is a deep red-orange, and it seems to glow and shift colour in the light, from red to orange.

"The girl on fire." I whisper. It was my name during the games. It screams the games at me. It was what made me known. What gave me sponsors. Cinna looks at me sympathetically.

"I know" He murmurs again. "I had to. It will make you remembered by the sponsors' and have them queuing up to sponsor the tributes, thinking him or her the next one on fire. And district 12 needs sponsors."

I didn't deny it. It's true. District twelve is not one of the more popular districts in the capitol and I would have died if I hadn't been sent the burn cream. The pain would have made me slow. I would have been dead within days.

He slides the dress over my head, a perfect fit of course. He makes a few quick adjustments to the dress before stepping back to admire his work.

I smile at him. "Perfect of course." Even with all of this my smile still seems fake. It is a relief when Peeta knocks on the door and enters in a respectable tux. He smiles at me.

"Beautiful." He walks forward and kisses me lightly on the lips and then once on the forehead before sighing. "Ready?" He asks.

I shake my head. "I'll never be ready."

He nods, understanding. I take his arm and he leads me through the kitchen and into the living room. We are greeted by screams of delight from my prep team. "Katniss you look fabulous!" all of them chorus. I smile at them, surprised they don't see the pain. Or maybe they do and don't comment. Either way I don't care. I don't let go of Peeta once as he leads me from the house, the prep team surround Cinna, babbling about how exciting it is that they could attend a real reaping.

I glance to my left. The wood, I crave their solitude. The darkness and dampness that I know so well. The tall and secluded trees that I grew up in. I grip his arm tighter; my fingers feeling the muscle under it. We arrive in the main square in a couple minutes and take our seats up on the stage by Haymitch who gives us a drunken wave. Normally the victors don't sit on stage, but because District 12 is the winning district, we get our victors on the stage. What an honour.

Haymitch must be glad, with no more tributes to mentor unless one of us dies. I wonder if he will go off the drink. Unlikely. We watch the people filling into the square, the boy, girls and parents separated. I see Prim standing there in her reaping outfit. _Please, not her._ I beg.

There are people crying, some are trying to joke with their friends but you see the fear. Most of them are grim or expressionless. We wait a few more minutes for the small population of District twelve to file in.

Effie then comes on stage, wearing an unattractive yellow dress; that flares out in every direction possible.

As the clock strikes two the mayor comes up and tells everyone about the history of Panem, the brutal war and the capitol that won, and every year to remember we celebrate in the form of the Hunger Games. It is the same story every year. He reads through the list of victors, which is now four, three of us still live, Haymitch, Peeta and myself.

He beckons Effie forward who smile and gives her signature greeting.

"Welcome welcome to the 75th hunger games!" the audience give a scattered applause. "And may the odds be ever in your favour!" Her large green curls frame her pale face, making it look drawn out and thin.

"Right! Ladies first!" She moves to one of the large balls with thousands of slips in it. She dips her hand inside, moving around slowly, her fingers hovering around the slips teasingly. The audience is hushed.

When she takes out a slip of white paper, folded neatly in the middle I can't even breathe.

She looks up and into the cameras and with a smile and a loud voice reads;

"Anna Burnet!"

I let out a gasp of air,_ not prim_. I look up and see a medium sized girl with long brown hair and blue eyes, she holds herself well, no look of fear that I know so well in my prey's eyes. She walks steadily up the stairs and stands by the podium.

Effie seems pleased. One year a young child clung to her crying, you could practically hear her yelling at the child for running her silk dress.

"Now for the boys." She moves to the second glass ball and moves her fingers around it, tantalisingly close but never touching any of them. She picks up a thin sheet, folded neatly in half like the last, she gives the audience a cheeky wink, before opening it and reading;

"Jace Night!"

I feel Peeta stiffen and as I see Jace come on stage I realise I recognise him from school, he is seventeen and from one of the merchant families. He must have hung out with Peeta sometimes.  
Jace is good looking, both of them are, he seems bored by the events, maybe I have some good people with a chance to work with.

Effie smiles, her red lipstick cracked and on her teeth.

"Shake hands."She murmurs. Anna puts her and out and Jace lazily shakes it.

"The tributes of district twelve!" Effie screeches into the crowd who respond with quiet clapping.

The peacekeepers come forward and march Jace and Anna through the wooden doors.

I watch as they leave, a quiet determination coming over myself. _I'll get one of you out alive._

And we all stand up as the anthem plays. What an honour.


	2. Train To The Capitol

80 views in three hours but one review? Gah! I NEED reviews, they make my day and keep my writing, (I have WAY too many distractions. Procrastinating... e.c.t anyway the moral of this story is REVIEW!) (also thanks to Mozbie for the review!) Read on reader!

Then review.

**Anna's POV **

Me. They picked me. Of everyone in district twelve they picked me. I didn't expect anyone to volunteer. I don't have many friends or family members that are eligible to be reaped. They picked me; and I will not give everyone at the capitol the satisfaction of seeing me scared. I went up to the podium, where Effie stood, smiling so wildly she looked on the verge of madness. Then she called Jace. I'm from the seam so we don't know each other. That's a good thing, I told myself. Will make killing him easier. We shook hands; his floppy brown hair hid one of his strong green eyes. And then they took us away, away from our district to say a quick good bye to our families and leave. And probably never return.

Xxxxx

I sit in the justice building, waiting for my family to arrive. The deep carpets are soft under my feet, and the velvet couch and chairs are exquisite. I sit back in the chair, enjoying the feel of velvet under my skin. The door opens and I turn my head to see who comes in; it's my family of course. My strong and silent father, my calm and emotionless mother and my older brother, Joel. He is twenty and by far my favourite person in the family. He holds his arms out and I bury myself in them. My parents sit on one of the couches awkwardly but I don't care. He strokes my hair back.

"You can win. Sponsors will be desperate to sponsor you. Find a weapon you are good at, a knife or something." I nod but I know I can't win. Katniss probably thought that, but she can hunt, use a bow and arrow. I can only smile and hope that people pass me by, and then in the arena there is some massive trick that only I can do, and I win. _Unlikely. _ I think; but I'll try for my brother, for Joel. He takes my hand and leads me to the velvet couch opposite my parents. My father sits there, looking at the floor. My mother is too busy admiring the room.

"Can you at least try to pretend you're upset about me leaving?" I snap at them. My mother looks around, surprised.

"Of course we are darling, but aren't you lucky! Going to the capitol. It will be amazing." I look at her, shocked. I'm going to die and she says I'm lucky? It takes all of my strength and Joel's hand on my wrist to stop me from flying at her.

My father just grunts. We sit there for a few moments in silence before the peacekeepers come and take them away. I sit back, waiting for them to take me to the train, I won't have any more visitors, but I'm sure Jace has crying girls next door, all begging him to come home for them. If he comes back it won't be for them, it will be because it suited him. I don't see him often but he appears to be arrogant, going out with every pretty girl, though never one from the seam, and expecting the seam people to bow at his feat. I snort slightly. _Good luck trying that with me_. I think smugly.

I'm right. The next people to walk through my doors are the peacekeepers, they move to one side of me each and grip my arms and march me forward. Perhaps they think I'll try to escape. I wonder if tributes have tried to escape before.

Coming out of the room next to me I see Jace being escorted out in a much gentler fashion by two female peacekeepers who keep trying to feel his muscles, one even dared to try to ask him to take off his shirt to check he isn't concealing weapons. One glare from Jace shut her up though.

We then get on the train and the Peacekeepers leave us. I look around the most luxurious train I've ever seen. There are carpets lining the walls and floor and a large mahogany dining table adorned with food. I've often not had enough to eat; but with my father and brother working in the mines, and my mother running a small shop that sells herbs. We managed to scrape by. My mother knows Katniss' mother, though my mother isn't a healer, but she often sells the herbs to Katniss' mother, trading them for Katniss' kills.

Jace moves to the table and sits down, leaning back with his feet on the table. I move to sit opposite him and wait for Katniss and Peeta to come in. Jace grabs an apple and throws it up in the air and catches it, before giving me a lazy grin. Suddenly he throws the apple at me, before I have time to move it hits me on the shoulder.

"Dead in a day." Says Jace, tutting slightly.

My temper flares at this. "With aim like that you'll have a hard job killing anybody!" I snap at him.

He just smirks as Katniss and Peeta enter.

**Katniss' POV**

I walk into the room my hand entwined with Peeta's. I look across the room to the large table seating a fuming Anna and a calm Jace. Effie should arrive soon, and as if on cue she bustles into the room; now wearing a magenta dress so large I'm surprised she got it through the door.

"Welcome, welcome." She says, laughing a little at her joke. I resist the urge to strangle her and to my amusement Anna looks the same way. Jace looks indifferent as usual. I'm glad it's Peeta that's teaching him. I would probably try to kill him before the end of the day; Peeta is much better at keeping his temper then me. She sits down on the head of the table and we move to sit opposite her.

Anna sits up a little, I ignore Jace.

"Right; because you have two mentors, you get to work separately with us. Anna with me, Jace with Peeta."

"What if I want to work with you darlin'?" Asks Jace. I stiffen and resist the urge to fly at him. Funny. I've only been in the room two minutes and I want to kill two people.

"You work with Peeta. Some things you and Anna may want to work on together, but you can decide that in your own time." I say stiffly.

Peeta squeezes my hand gently and I calm down somewhat.

"Okay, it's the 75th hunger games which means you guys are in for a lot. The capitol audience will want to see a good show, and that means more violent and gruesome deaths. I also means more sponsors as many people in the capitol decide to give more as it's the third quell." I say.

"We need to know what you are good at in order to help you." Peeta takes over. "Although I understand if you would rather keep it a secret."

Jace and Anna both shrug.

"I'm good with knifes and a spear." Says Jace twirling a knife in his hand.

"I don't know." Anna replies.

"Okay, I'll speak with you later about that." I say, glancing at her and then the clock on the wall. "It's 3:30, I suggest you go to your rooms, one of the Avox's will take you and then we can meet at 6:00 for dinner."

**Anna's POV**

As I rise I move to the doorway and once out in the hall I see an Avox cleaning. Her red hair covers most of her face and she keeps her head ducked. I move forward slowly to the girl. She has a capitol look about her and porcelain white skin.

"Excuse me?" I ask carefully. "Can you take me to my room?"

She nods once and avoids eye contact me. She moves away from the hall and leads me through the train before stopping outside a door. She taps it once before ducking her head and moving away from me. I open the door into a spacious room I step in, marveling at it. To my left a door partially open, inside I can see white tiles so I presume it's a bathroom. In the room is a double bed with crisp white sheets and a chest of draws. I move over to them and find them filled with clothes. I then move to the bathroom and find a large bath with various colour taps and buttons on the wall above it. By the sink a toothbrush and a bag labelled 'toiletries'.

I move back out of the bathroom and sit carefully on the edge on the bed. After a few minutes I lie back, enjoying the feel of soft, factory made sheets. The train is moving so fast I barely feel it moving at all.

I turn so I bury my face in the soft pillow that smells like lavender. Not the lavender we have at home, this has a bitter side to it, it has been made in a capitol lab. I lie there for a few minutes, thinking of my brother. The lavender reminds me of one day when he picked me up from school.

It was a sunny June day. My brother didn't yet work in the mines and he finished school half an hour later than me; but I always waited for him. He would turn up at the gates and I would run to him. He would hold his arms out and I would jump into them. We would laugh and walk the long way home. Treasuring the time we had together. Summer was the best time of year in district twelve. Few people were dying of starvation and the weather lightened everyone's sprits. As we walked home we came across a lavender bush, my brother made a big performance of plucking a piece a getting down on his knees and presenting it to me. I laughed and wore it in my hair for the rest of the day before keeping it by my bedside until it was almost entirely rotten.

The memory makes me homesick and it takes me a few minutes to calm myself down and move back into the bathroom.

I experiment, turning taps on the bath and pressing buttons at random. I find out that anything with a red outline will add something that's hot, such as water or foam. And anything thing with a blue outline will add something that's cold. In the end I have a hot, foamy bath that to my amusement is green, I dip my fingers in to check that it doesn't stain before taking off my clothes and leaving them in a pile by the door. As I sink into the water I find it has a calming effect. The foam works its way into my hair and leaves my skin feeling soft. At the press of another button the foam dissolves into the water and my hair is left damp, but foam free. I find another button labelled dry, I press it out of curiosity and within seconds my bathwater has drained away and large gusts of air are pelted down on me. Within a minute my hair is dry and glossy. I don't bother with a towel as I leave the bathroom.

As I open the bathroom door and step into the warm room, my eyes fall on Jace. _Jace? _I scream and try to cover myself, He moves swiftly over to me and covers my mouth, cutting off my scream. "Are you mad?" He hisses. "You'll have the peacekeepers here in a minute and I don't want to ruin my chances by being labelled as a sex fiend."

I stare at him furiously. He slowly removes his hand. "What the hell do you think you're doing in my room?" I stage whisper.

He smirks slightly. "Perhaps you want to put some clothes on first?"

I gasp and dive back into the bathroom, grabbing a dressing gown and putting it on; making sure that it's sealed properly, before stepping back into the bedroom where I find Jace lounging on the bed.

"I repeat." I say slightly louder. "What on earth do you think you're doing in my room?"

"I thought I'd get to know you. You know, know your enemy and all that."

I scowl at him.

"I'm sixteen; I have two expressionless parents and a brother I adore. I'm terrible at maths but good at English. My family get by and we have a cat that is always grumpy and is pregnant right now. I have a red top that belonged to my mother at home, and I absolutely hate it. It's frilly and disgusting. I have no other family apart from my parents and brother, and hardly any friends." I say stiffly.

He looks at me quizzically. "Enough?" I snap.

He grins and gets up from the bed; he comes close to me and places his mouth by my ear. "For now." He whispers, before leaving, closing the door softly behind him, allowing me to get dressed.


	3. Strategy

Next chappy out, and yes I know it took way too long. *Ducks as something is thrown and crashes into wall behind* But it's out now! Thanks to Nightlock Ink, Cloveycat, The Curse of Normality, d11olive-13 and Mozbie for reviewing and in reply to The Curse of Normality, I understand about the Avox's comment, I just wanted the red haired avox girl to make an appearance and I assumed there would be Avox's to clean and make the beds and such on the train. :) Thanks for the reviews!

**Anna's POV**

Later that night I walk through the train and into the living room. Katniss, Peeta, Effie and Jace are sitting in front of a large television. In district twelve few people have televisions, to watch the Games we all have to go to the square. I sit down by Effie, avoiding Jace.

"I taped the reapings." Says Katniss as she puts a disk into the machine. I nod once and lean forward to examine my competition, and possibly killer. As Katniss puts in the disk I watch reaping after reaping. A towering boy from district one, a stunning girl who squealed when her name was called from two; a sly girl from district eight, a young twelve year old boy from ten. Then us. I'm glad that I appear to be calm, I shake Jace's hand, and we walk into the justice building. Over.

We sit in silence for a few moments before Katniss stands up, her face guarded. "Dinner." She says before leaving the room, Peeta in tow.

Xxxxxxx

**Katniss' POV**

I walk to the dining section of the train. My face clouded and locked. The reapings brought back too fresh memories of the Hunger Games. I saw the dead tributes in the new one's faces. _Twenty three of them are going to die._ I think grimly. Just as I'm thinking this Peeta comes up behind me and takes my hand, gently squeezing it. This comforts me slightly and I take my seat at the head of the table.

Once everyone sits down I speak. "Tomorrow you will meet your stylists and prep team. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is don't resist." I smile slightly as I quote Haymitch's words. "You're then going to the opening ceremony, trust Cinna and Portia, they know what they are doing. You don't need to hold hands." I add noting how openly Anna seems to despise Jace. "I will ask that you smile, we need to decide what angle you are going for so after dinner, Peeta will spend ten minutes with Jace, and see which angle is best. And myself with Anna."

Just as I finish speaking the Peacekeepers come into the room carrying food. As they set it down I notice the longing on Anna's face. I remember not having enough to eat and being in awe of the capitol food.

"Tuck in." I say and Anna dives for a bread roll. Jace takes a slice of bread and little else.

"What's wrong?" Taunts Anna. "Scared you will lose your pretty boy figure?"

He scowls at her and takes a slice of chicken.

Effie coughs slightly and purses her lips.

"Questions?" I ask them.

Anna nods. "Do you want us to team up with anyone or stay on our own?"

I pause and think about this for a moment. "Yes, find one or two others in the training centre. You can join up together, but at the rate you two are going at I doubt you and Jace would be great allies." I smile wirily.

We soon finish the meal and I move into the other room with Anna and sit down opposite her. To my amusement she seems almost nervous. I smile at her. "Don't worry, when I did this Haymitch said I had as much charm as a dead slug. I doubt this will go quite so badly." She grins back before sitting up, slightly less nervous.

"On the bright side, I don't think this will be too hard. You can be sullen, but you have a good personality. People are already curious about you, to see if you are like the girl on fire. We want them on the edge of their seats. I think we should go for mysterious and likeable. We can work on what this means when speaking on the day of the interviews, but for now..." I pause, thinking. "Smile, look as if you already know the result of the games. Seem pleased to be here though, the capitol people love it when a tribute looks like they are in love with the capitol." Anna nods once.

"Right." I say, standing up. "I think Peeta and Jace are done, bed now. You have a long day tomorrow." We walk into the dining area to see that Peeta and Jace are sitting there. Jace lying down by the fire, Peeta up on a stool looking amused. "Bed." I say to the both of them firmly. Peeta gets up immediately, but Jace takes his time making me grit my teeth together. I take Peeta's hand and walk out of the room.

Anna's POV

I follow Katniss out of the room, ignoring Jace behind me. She and Peeta go into their room and I keep walking, irritated by Jace following me. As a reach my room I move to open the door, Jace grabs the handle. "Wait." He says. "I want to talk to you."

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" I don't want to get attached. It will make killing him harder.

"Too bad." He says frankly.

"What then?" I ask, irritated.

"Could you do it?" He asks quietly but still with a cocky edge.

"Do what?" I snap.

"Kill someone." This throws me. Could I? I've never been violent in my life.

"When it comes to it in the arena. I'll do what I have to to survive." I say shortly before pushing past him and into my room. I close the door before moving to the bed slowly. I curl up on the soft sheets, not bothering to change and lie there, well into the night and as the morning arrives I'm still dressed and in bed. Just thinking. Effie bustles into my room, and moves to open the curtains, but finding them already open throws her a little. She looks around, almost unsure what to do before composing herself and saying. "Busy, busy day! How exciting, you're meeting your prep team! Up, up!" She looks at what I'm wearing and purses her lips a little. "And change out of that and into something clean! And wash!" She adds, seeming determined to find things to nag about.

I roll out of the bed and into the bathroom. I don't bother showering; my prep team will scrub me down no end. I wash my face and clean my teeth before moving into my room and getting dressed. I leave my room and walk to the dining area knowing that this will be my last night on this train. Peeta is the only other person in the room. I move to sit down by him and help myself to a hot roll. Peeta passes me something, I look at it suspiciously.

"It's hot chocolate; dip your roll in it." He says, smiling slightly. I do as he says and find it is delicious. We eat in silence for a few minutes before I speak. "Could it be possible that two tributes win again this year?" I ask, curiously.

He pauses, thinking. "It's unlikely, the capitol have said it was a one off and won't happen again, also the audience will have been used to the romance thing, it's not new to them so they would be less enthusiastic to keep them together." I nod in reply, this makes sense, the capitol would be bored of the romance thing, and myself and Jace would hardly make a convincing couple.

As we continue to eat Effie suddenly bustles into the room, dragging a disgruntled Jace.

"Morning sunshine." He says blearily to me. I ignore him and look for some more hot chocolate, which to my disappointment has all gone.

Effie looks around and tuts slightly. "Where has Katniss gone now?" She asks the window, peering out of it as if she expects to see Katniss running along beside the 200mph train.

Just as Effie looks as if she is about to open the window and lean out Katniss enters the room. Her hair is windswept. Come to think of it so is Peeta's.

"Where were you?" Effie reprimands.

"On the roof." Comes Katniss' sullen reply.

Effie bristles and puffs up but before she can begin her lecture of the dangers on the roof, although it's common knowledge there is a force field to stop people jumping or falling off, Katniss moves to sit by me and after motioning to a peacekeeper gets brought some hot chocolate.

After sipping it she begins to speak. "Today you and Jace will meet your stylists. The prep team are easily offended and much like a trio of loving pets, get on their good side, they will say good things about you to prospective sponsors who like to find out different peoples view on the tribute, and since they can't go to your families, they will ask myself and Peeta, your stylists, Effie and your prep team."

We all nod to this and Katniss seems satisfied. After a few minutes of eating in silence the train pulls in at the station. We are greeted by crowds of cheering people and as I step out of the train and into the blinding light, I can't help but think that all these people want to watch me die.

**Katniss' POV**

The noise of the screaming capitol people overwhelms me. Cameras are shoved towards us and I pick out random faces in the crowd; one has purple hair and a stretched back forehead which contorts his whole face. Another has spikes going through any part of her nose that the surgeons could find. Another doesn't even look human. I put my hand on Anna's back and lead her forward to the remake centre. Once we arrive in the cool peace of the remake centre the crowd disperse quickly, all anxious to go home and see if they had been on television.

Anna and Jace are suddenly swamped by their prep teams, pushing them towards the lift, pulling and examining any part of them that their long finger nails can get a hold on. I sigh and take Peeta's hand. We move into another lift which is where we will meet the other tributes mentors. Why the capitol ask us to do this, is a mystery to me. Perhaps just to get to know one another for social reasons, or to just do it so that we have something to do while our tributes are in the remake centre. Either way, I don't see how it will help my tributes to win.

Upon entering I take a piece of paper offered to me by a peacekeeper. It has the names of the mentors, followed by a picture and their district number. At least I don't have to offend anyone by not knowing who they are. As we step in a man comes over to us, smiling. I glance down at my paper and see that it is Finnick Odair. District four.

"Congratulations." He says. "You two put on quite the performance last year." He says, while winking to me and flashing me a charming smile much like Jaces.

"Thank you." Comes Peeta's cool reply. I nod slightly as he walks off, looking around the room. There are the career victors in one group who I will make a habit of avoiding. There is Finnick with someone called Johanna, a girl who pretended to be meek and then became a vicious killer from seven. In the corner two people referred to as the morphlings from six. I feel sorry for their tributes, they can't have much of the mentors to work with. Beetee and Wiress from three talking to the eighty year old woman from four called Mags. Seeder and Chaff from eleven talking to Cecelia and Woof from eight. And Blight from seven standing with two people with their back to me which I assume are from five. As well as the victors from nine and ten in a group with their heads down. I sigh slightly and grip Peeta's hand tighter as we step into the room of killers.

**Anna's POV**

Pluck. Pluck. I screw my eyes up tighter. They seem to have been plucking my eyebrows for at least twenty minutes. Pluck. Pluck. I am sure my eyebrows will be puckered and red by the end of this. "Almost there sweetie." Giggles Venia. I smile and act as if I would be happy for them to pluck my eyebrows all day. Pluck. Pluck.

"Done!" Declares Flavius. I smile at them, glancing into the mirror I pretend to be amazed. "They look wonderful!" I say with a smile so big I'm sure it looks fake but they don't see anything. They all smile and coo at one another. I have been in the remake centre for two and a half hours in which time every part of my body has been plucked, waxed and scrubbed within an inch of its life.

"That is perfect. Thank you Octavia, Venia and Flavius." Comes a voice from the doorway. I turn to meet my stylist.

Xxxxxx

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading! And remember to review because they keep me writing !

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This is Bunny.


	4. Parade

Yes I know this took forever, I have just been so busy! Thank you to illbakeyoupies27 for asking me to get this out and also to ChemicalRose1248 for the review, as well as my sister hacking my account and asking me to hurry up since I refuse to tell her the outcome!

**Anna**

I turn to see my stylist and to my immediate relief he seems normal. He has short brown hair and green eyes framed by gold eyeliner. He wears simple but stylish black trousers and top. I sit before him naked, slightly embarrassed but making no move to cover myself as his eyes take in every inch of me.

"Excellent, excellent." He murmurs before stepping back like an artist admiring his work. "Well Anna you will glad to know I have a fantastic outfit planned for you."

"What is it?" I ask curiously, Cinna is a renound stylist after looking after Katniss and was asked to move to a better district, but he declined.

He just winks in reply. After a slight pause he speaks again. "We want you related to Katniss but not the same, the girl on fire thing is very in right now, we want you to be like Katniss, but give you some identity, the audience love it. You will be magnificent."

I ask him what that means but he just smiles mysteriously. "I'll get you in your outfit soon enough." He moves to my hair, running his fingers through it. "I think we want Katniss to be a part of you, her iconic braid will be a constant reminder of her; and hopefully soon you." His fingers move deftly through my hair, braiding it and shaping it with intense precision. The result is invaluable. Small curls frame my heart shaped face making it look young and gentle. The braid stops mid way own my back and is loose so when I move my head the braid sways gently with it. I'm not sure if the prep team are supposed to do my make up, but he does it anyway. He keeps it simple, dark lashes, subtle lips. He adds a red-brown eye shadow to my eye lids and adds red eyeliner on my top eye lid. The result is pretty but basic. I look at Cinna quizzically but as usual he says nothing. He moves and gets my outfit from the other room and my mouth drops open in shock. Is this it? It is simple, black outfit much like what we will train and then fight in. The only difference is a type of cape connecting from the wrist to the hip so when the arms are raised it looks like wings.

He chuckles at my reaction. "The dress is simple, but the result will be sublime." I again have to ask him what he means. "Imagine..." He pauses for a minute. "You are the phoenix. Born from Katniss' ashes ready to burn brighter and stronger." He smiles slyly at me after a slight pause again. "I asked this to your mentor a year ago. Are you afraid of fire?"

**Katniss' POV**

I leave the room of the previous victors as soon as we are allowed to and I find myself moving along the hall where the carriages are being lined up, waiting for the tributes who are due to arrive in ten minutes. I take short sharp breaths and almost have to stop myself turning and running away when I see district twelve's carriage. They even used the same horses. I place a hand on one of the horse's thick neck and I find the feel of its soft fur calming under my shaking hand. I feel a hand rest itself on my shoulder and I tense before relaxing in the knowledge it's Peeta.

"I know." Is all he says. And I don't doubt it, Peeta has always been my rock, my shoulder to cry on, the strong one, but he gets nightmares too. Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't for Peeta holding me at night when I wake up screaming if it would have been worth winning. The capitol weren't happy about the double victory, and we had to act hopelessly in love for a while, and the capitol gave an official warning to any future tributes who were thinking of attempting what we did, but since then we have been left alone.

I hear a loud buzzer go off and I tense, jumping from the sudden noise. Suddenly the hall is full of people and I see Anna and Jace walking towards us, I'm perplexed by her simple suit, though I expect that Cinna has something lined up.

I just have time to throw her a quick smile before we are ushered out of the hall just as the trumpets go off announcing the start of the parade.

**Anna's POV**

District twelve go last. I'm standing next to Jace who is dressed in a tight fitting black suit with red flames adorned on it. The craftsmanship is exquisite as he looks as if his costume is in flames. It's obvious what angle Jace is going for, he's sexy all the way. With his 'devil-may-care' rugged looks and his strong, tall physique, he will have all the girls in Panem after him. He did in district twelve too. Not that he cared much for them; he treated them like dirt, using and abusing. Yet they never seemed to mind, that's what annoys me. That he gets away with it.

I'm brought back by the sound of the fanfare playing; I see the first carriage move out. Cinna runs over and presses a hidden button on my dress. I'm suddenly immersed in what looks like embers. Red lines run around the outfit, making it look like glowing charcoal and ash. I guess my rebirth has started.

"District twelve!" A voice yells from above me. The crowd goes wild, screaming our names I glance around looking for Cinna, I find him in the crowd and I see him nod, smiling.

I look down at my outfit to see the colour steadily burning brighter, less black and more red. Flames lick at the coals I look over to Jace to see that his outfit is somehow getting brighter. Flowers are thrown at us and I catch one and hold it in my hand for a moment before laying it on the front of the carriage. I remember what Katniss said and I smile but keep my eyes mysterious, I find it difficult and I'm half convinced I look mad, but on screen I seem to be fine.

We're about half way there now, Snow's mansion is looming in the distance, and as such my dress continues to burn. More people screaming our names, throwing flowers and confetti at us. Jace keeps up his bad boy cocky edge, and when he winks, nearly every woman there faints. If he wins this he will probably become the next Finnick. I sigh and toss my hair back, keeping up smiles. I see us on the screen and we look powerful, strong and beautiful. I feel a slight tingle on my body and glance down to see that the bottom part of the suit is on fire, the fire slowly spreads upwards, moving along my arms and up to my neck. I'm terrified that my hair might catch alight, but thankfully it doesn't. I wave at the crowd, my arm encased with fire causes a few of the capitol people to scream with admiration. The cape from my wrist to my hip is also alight; and to my delight when both arms are raised I look like a fire bird. Truly the phoenix. We ride through the city and I keep my arms raised as the horses trot around. I look at Jace and grin at him, the crowd and the fire make me feel elated; but it's all too easy to remember that these people want to watch me die. I keep my arms raised as I notice that my dress is changing, the fire is going out from the bottom, leaving a delicate and realistic pattern of what looks like red feathers. My arms stay raised as the fire extinguishes completely leaving feathers all over my body.

We arrive at the mansion in good time, and I have time to look at the screens to see that my face is taking up most of them. The audience hush as the old white haired man walks onto the balcony.

"Welcome one and all to the seventy-fifth annual event of the Hunger Games!" The audience cheer before hushing as snow raises an old clawed hand.

"We have here tonight twenty four tributes, in less than a month they will be reduced to one. The victor. To be a victor of the Hunger Games is a huge honour for yourself and your district."

He pauses to clear his throat. "All but one of the tributes before me will die, and although this is a tremendous loss, we do it to prevent further loss. So that the dark days will never be repeated. So that the children of the capitol can live in peace. The Hunger Games are an event to be celebrated, and an event of remembrance for those innocents who died at the hands of the rebels seventy-five years ago."

He pauses again and the audience are still. "So it is an honour, to proclaim, that from this moment on, the seventy-fifth Hunger Games have started!" He roars and the audience go wild, cheering various tributes names, yelling encouragement to the ones they have betted on. Snow nods once, and gives a small wave before turning back to his mansion.

The anthem plays and the crowd cheer and sing along. Happy Hunger Games.

Not my longest chapter. (In fact my shortest.) And the longest time to get it out, but I hate leaving a story, I PROMISE to get another one out, I am super busy recently, but I do have some free days, and I will get writing.

In the meantime review, one of the reasons it took me so long to get it out is I got few reviews, and therefore no incentive, which I know is a poor reason, but reviews do mean the world to me.

Thank you!


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